Tag: facebook

One of the biggest fears I battle as a writer is of “being found out.”

You see, I have no credentials, really. No degree to vouch for my knowledge, no wealth of experience in the marketplace to give me a portfolio that I can offer for your inspection.

I’m just a wife and mom. I’m a middle-aged, homeschooling southern girl who has loved to put words together since the sixth grade. And I am a believer in Jesus.

But I’m also a student. Always seeking and learning, I peruse the Bible almost daily, comparing translations, exploring apologetics, reading and gleaning from the research and knowledge of those who do have the credentials and portfolios.

Most importantly, I have the Holy Spirit…my teacher and yours if you have surrendered your life to the risen Christ.

Today I was reading in Acts 18 and I felt a kinship with Apollos:

A Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was powerful in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught the things about Jesus accurately, although he knew only John’s baptism. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the way of God to him more accurately. When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples urging them to welcome him. After he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

Acts 18:24-28 HCSB

Apollos reminds me a lot of myself. He was passionate, good with words, and intent on sharing what the Lord had taught him with the world around him, but he lacked an important credential in the eyes of many believers:

He had not been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Matthew Henry says this:

“Though he had not the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, as the apostles, he made use of the gifts he had…He was a lively, affectionate preacher; fervent in spirit. He was full of zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of precious souls. Here was a complete man of God, thoroughly furnished for his work.” (emphasis mine)

What a relief! Apollos did not let what some might consider lack to stop him. He didn’t know it all, most likely did not have perfect theology, but he knew Jesus is the son of God who had died and been raised to life. Apollos taught what he knew!

How many times have I held back out of fear that someone would challenge my words, asking questions that I might not be able to answer? How often have I compared myself to other writers who have accomplished great literary achievements while I was blogging between teaching my kids about Christopher Columbus and trying to get them to stop eating their boogers?

But those years of waiting, those seasons of introspection and teaching of the simplest things, were God’s training ground for what I am doing now. He taught me to find my voice, little by little, breaking down the wall of fear and coaxing me ever forward. He showed me a greater purpose for this gift, one that may not win awards but it just might win souls.

After spending the entire morning thinking about Apollos, I realized there are four goals I can work toward based on what I read about him in Acts 18.

Goal #1: Be instructed in the way of the Lord.

I must never stop learning about the things of God. After 25 years of walking with Christ (some years better than others!) I am continually amazed at the bombshells He drops into my life when I spend real, quality time studying the Bible. I am convinced we cannot fully grow in the Spirit without the discipline of Bible study.

I’m talking about moving beyond devotionals. I enjoy a good devotional, but we need more. We need to go deep, to explore and dig into the word of God so that it can cut through our facade and get to the heart of who we are and what He wants for us. By the way, I can assure you it will take more than five minutes.

Don’t tell me you don’t have time.

I said that once, then Facebook was invented.

I apparently had plenty of time.

Goal #2: Be fervent in Spirit

Complacency kills. When being a Christian is a “fun fact” about me and not the core of who I am as a woman, God is reverted to being “the man upstairs” and Jesus to a friend who makes me feel good about myself. But fervency means I am pressing in, letting the fire of the Holy Spirit refine me and correct my path as I walk with God. It means I say no to things that interfere with the calling God has placed on my life and yes to His calling even when I am quaking in my boots. It means I spend large quantities of time on my knees and seek the heart of my Father through prayer and fasting. (I know what you are going to say…remember my aforementioned point about Facebook, or you can insert Instagram or Snapchat if that’s your jam.) I have to put Him first and recognize that Candy Crush (or whatever time-sucker you choose) probably isn’t going to draw me deeper into fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Sorry.

Goal #3: Speak and teach accurately the things concerning Jesus.

Have you noticed the trend to redefine Jesus Christ these days? There are myriads of teachers who are off just a hair, leading the masses into error because “most” of what they say is really good and the stuff that is off base is deemed to be no big deal in the big picture of Christianity.

But what if it is a really big deal?

In a recent sermon our pastor gave an illustration that brings the importance of Biblical accuracy to light. If a pilot flies around the world and is off by only 1 degree, he would miss his landing target by 435 miles. He would not even be close to the landing strip, aiport, city and possibly even STATE where he wanted to land!

Accuracy matters. Appolos taught what he knew until he knew more. Which leads me to my next goal:

Goal #4: Be teachable and willing to learn from fellow Christians who are ahead of me in the game.

I don’t have a theology degree or a degree in apologetics. I don’t even have a degree in writing! But, as my kids have learned in music class, perfect practice makes practice perfect.

In order to teach and write well I must seek instruction from those who are solid in their relationship with God, full of the Holy Spirit, strong in theology and intellect and committed to absolute accuracy when teaching the Bible. And I must allow them to correct me when I am wrong, just as Apollos did. Verse 26 says, “When Priscilla and Aquilla heard his teaching, they took him home and explained the way of God more accurately.”

Apollos’ response wasn’t, “Fine, I give up. I suck at this. I should never have tried teaching about Jesus!” Instead, he pressed forward, eager to cross to Achaia to continute what he had been doing but, now, with more knowledge and accuracy! And the Bible says in verse 27 that when Apollos arrived in Achaia he was a great help to those who had believed.

Isn’t that the goal? Isn’t the whole reason God gives us gifts to bless and grow the Church?

What is a gift you long to develop? What holds you back? Pray for God to use it, to use you. Seek ways to use the gifts you have kept on the backburner. Trust Him when He says “go” and do it. It’s ok if you are doing it scared, but you must do it! And when a fellow Christian pulls you aside to correct an error, receive it with grace and gratitude. The better we are armed, the more effective the fight!

Boy, is this ever a big topic. So many books and blogs claim to have the answer but, when all is said and done, we still end up empty and searching. Advice ranges from getting a manicure to “washing your face.”

(Yeah, I went there.)

I, I, I, me, me, me…we fight for peace and rest and determine to recharge and charge forward, but for what? For “likes?” For fist bumps and “Yeah, girl, that’s right?” Is that what we are reduced to…our social media popularity and comment sections? Recognition from a world who stands against the things of God? Success that is temporal and cannot eternally satisfy our deepest longings?

In Romans 8, starting in verse 5, Paul explains where our focus should lie. Let me give you a hint…it is not on “self.”

At least not in the way today’s popular books would sell it.

Read this section of Scripture carefully …

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:5-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The only real method of self-care has nothing to do with yourself but everything to do with God.

The answer to that question dictates how you live. What we feed our minds determines the fruit we will display in our everyday lives. Flesh equals death. Spirit equals life and peace. This passage tells us the flesh is actually HOSTILE to God! It does not like to be told what to do or how. (“Who are you to judge me?”) It doesn’t want to, nor is it even able to please God. To profess to be a Christian yet be unable to please God is scary. Very scary.

2. Be sure the Spirit dwells in you.

Paul’s assumption is that he is speaking to believers. But what if you have not surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus? Well, you are basically spinning your wheels. Without faith in Christ you don’t have the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, you do not belong to Christ. If you are not certain, please contact me. I would love to help you get that settled once and forever.

3. Know who you are…and who you are not.

I am many things: wife, mom, writer, sister, teacher, friend. But above and beyond all of these I am a born-again child of God, daughter of the King, and forever alive because of the righteousness of Christ. His Spirit lives in me and gives life to my mortal body because Jesus rose from the dead and promises to do the same for me! This is EVERYTHING. This is the reason I live and breathe and get out of bed at sunrise to meet with Him. The flesh has no right over me because I owe everything to Jesus. If I belong to Him it affects everything I do, every word I speak, even the passive information I allow into my mind while going about my day.

My behavior is greatly affected by the contents of my mind…trash in equals trash out. Beauty and things of the Kingdom in equals peace and joy out.

If I choose obedience to God I choose life. If I follow the patterns and godless ways of the world I will suffer the same negative consequences in my life.

If I truly know who and WHOSE I am the very fabric of my days will change. My tastes and desires will be refined. I will find joy in living fully into who my Creator, who knows me best, says I am!

Here’s the point:

Do I enjoy self-care in the earthly sense? Sure! I don’t know many women who don’t like a good mani-pedi or massage. Being told I did a good job or that you like to read my blog 😉 always feels good and encouraging. But I want us to go deeper, to a more permanent solution to the inner battle we all fight each day. I want us to see where our value lies and know that if no one else is cheering us on, if finding time to be pampered is just not happening in this season but we are certain our lives count for the Kingdom of God then we can find joy in knowing we have achieved the highest of rewards and most holy of accolades from the only One whose opinion really matters.

In Heaven my feet won’t hurt, thus nixing the need for pedicures.

In Heaven I’m fairly certain we won’t need Facebook or Instagram.

And in Heaven we will be eternally satisfied to hear “Well done” from the Eternal One, Himself.

Live forward, dear one. You are who you will be! Walk in that knowledge and turn away from twaddle, beginning NOW. Don’t settle. Don’t compromise. Hold a high standard because Jesus regards you highly. He is worthy of our well-lived lives.

The struggle is real in my home. With five kids, two of whom are well into their teens, we have every device imaginable at our fingertips. Phones, computers, Kindles, and I-pads all compete for attention and, to tell you the truth, I could go Amish in a split-second and toss them all out the window.

Until I want to write a blog post.

Or watch Chip and Joanna.

Hence the struggle.

Filtering what my kids watch and listen to is like swimming up a waterfall with my ankles tied together. Information rushes in so quickly these days and software updates constantly change the game. I can’t keep up.

So how, in an age of information overload, do we protect our children? In spite of internet filters and limits on what shows they can watch, too often they are still exposed to things that go against God and His desires for them. Even if we successfully put up a concrete wall of internet safety, they are not in our home 24/7. They have friends. Their friends have TV’s and computers. We cannot block it all, no matter how much we try. There must be a better way to protect them, a more effective and dependable filter.

In the book of James, the twelve tribes of Israel have been dispersed throughout the world. They are suddenly immersed in new cultures and learning to survive away from their beloved homeland because of persecution. I can only imagine the temptation they faced to compromise, to “fit in” and just not be noticed or singled out.

I’m sure their kids, growing up in this foreign culture that did not feel foreign to them, (this was their normal, just as a world full of electronic devices is normal to my kids) often pouted and whined, “Everybody else is doing it, why can’t we?” The adults likely felt the same struggle.

So James reminds them of who they are and Whose they are. He encourages them to face suffering with the courage of God and allow God to use it to refine them, making them more like Jesus, who happened to be James’ oldest brother. (Can you imagine?) He reminds them that they are here for a purpose…God’s purpose. He wants to use them. Their obedience, though it will not save them, will model the love of the Father to the dark society in which they live. They have been given a mandate to love and serve sacrificially, because Jesus sacrificed his very life for them. They are to live outwardly what has happened inwardly as evidence of their salvation and position in the Kingdom of God.

In chapter 4, James warns them about resisting worldliness. Selfishness, arguing, boasting, befriending “the world” and arrogance are all on his list. He didn’t tell them to only allow Christians into their home. He also didn’t tell them to stay home and avoid society in order to avoid temptation.

He told them, in order to win the spiritual battle for their hearts, to turn away from their own interests and submit to God alone. There are two opposing forces at work, battling to influence our minds and either cripple us spiritually or give us wings: the World and the Kingdom of God. They are polar opposites. We cannot function in both at once. We either live as an enemy of the World, or we effectively become enemies of God.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m choosing enemies it’s not going to be the Creator of the Universe.

As I ponder this, though, I wonder if what I just wrote is true. Every day I make a thousand little decisions that add up and affect my loyalties. This morning, as I was teaching this chapter of James to my children, a light bulb switched on in my spirit and the words came alive as never before regarding the choices we make minute by minute, hour by hour. We talked about the characteristics of worldliness. (They had no problem making a long list!) I looked at them and gently challenged my sweet ones, “When you watch TV, like on Disney, and listen to music do you see any of these things?” Three pairs of eyes widened as they nodded and named off the list again: Pridefulness, boasting, selfishness, arrogance. I continued…

“When you watch or listen to things that are filled with worldliness, it gradually soaks in. The Bible says that ‘Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks’ (Luke 6:45) so what happens is your heart becomes full of these characteristics and it begins to show in your behavior and attitude. We have to remember that God is the only one worthy of judging what is right and wrong, so if He says these things are sin then they are. If we want to live as a friend of God then we have to choose not to immerse ourselves in the messages of the world.”

Boy, do I wish this was easy. I wish that my just saying it to my kids would result in instant transformation and that they would, from this day forward, make awesome choices and have no desire for the things of the world. But that is not reality. I can filter internet and TV (which I do) all day long, but if their hearts are not drawn toward the Father then the second they leave my home they will run in the opposite direction of everything they have been taught.

I guess the next question is, how do we help them turn to God? Well, we begin by modeling it ourselves. Do they see me change the station when something inappropriate comes on the TV or radio? Am I having good, gentle discussions with them as they learn to navigate these choppy waters or just casting judgement when they make choices that I disagree with? It is in the day to day, minute to minute living and learning from real life consequences as well as experiencing blessing from good decisions that their little hearts are molded and shaped for Jesus. I cannot cast a blanket of rules and expect them to blindly follow. Legalism breeds sin. Always has, always will. But grace draws us to the Father. Unconditional love and acceptance, having a safe place to land no matter how they have messed up and knowing who they are in Christ are the foundation for them to draw from as they stumble, fall, and learn to walk again.

I struggle with this. I want to control and just keep them from messing up in the first place, but that is not possible. There are only certain things I can do, provide a safe haven for them, a home where there are standards and filters and loving discussions bathed in forgiveness when the filters fail. (Which they will.) And I can help them develop their own, holy filter…a realization that choosing things that honor the Kingdom are always better, always more beautiful, and always with good consequences. It takes time. It takes a lifetime. And it depends solely on the grace of God manifesting in the prayers and hard work we put in as parents.

I read books because I love them, not because I think I should read them.

-Simon Van Booy

For as long as I can remember, I have been a voracious reader. Our local library always had a summer reading program where kids were rewarded based on the number of books they read. In the summer between my 5th and 6th grade year I read thirty books. Mostly Nancy Drew. I walked around my house with my nose in a book, artfully dodging furniture and objects on the floor without ever taking my eyes from the page. I read myself to sleep, awakening the next morning with the book still open. On my face.

I LOVE to read, but as the years have gone by I realized something important and disturbing about myself. Though I continued to compile a library of books and would tell you that one of my favorite hobbies was reading, the truth is I was reading very little. In fact, it would take months to get through a book.

I wrestled with this, at first blaming busyness and the season of life that I was in. Sure, that was part of it. But I had to take a long, hard look at how I was using my time and be brutally honest with myself.

I spent more time on social media than I spent reading good books that blessed my heart and mind. I could tell you what Susie had for dinner last night and that Jane was now low-carb. I could also tell you that Carrie’s toddler refuses to wear socks and that Mary’s son is a star pee-wee football player and sports a custom pair of cleats. Nothing wrong with any of these things, right? Except that they were gradually eating away something that had always been very important to me: Immersing myself in a beautiful book filled with rich language and beautiful prose. Allowing my eyes to rest from the blue light of a computer screen and settle on the Times New Roman font evenly spaced across the off-white pages of a novel. Feeding my imagination with images of cities far away and encouragement to live simply and live well.

Instead, I was scrolling mindlessly, taking in tidbits of information that would be forgotten within days and training my mind to operate on what I believe to be a very shallow level in the interest of being “connected” and “in the know.”

So I stepped back. I didn’t delete the apps from my phone or deactivate my accounts. Extremes have never worked to break bad habits in my life. Instead, I began to replace the bad habits with good ones. It started with keeping a book in my purse. At first it was largely ignored as I checked my phone in waiting rooms or parking lots, but the mere presence of that book literally called to me. Eventually, I put the phone down and reached for the book. It felt silly, at first, to have to be so intentional about this but that is exactly what needed to happen. I had to make a choice.

A simple choice.

Over days and weeks the choice became easier. Reaching for the book began to feel normal again. Reading in my easy chair became my go-to. My desk, now organized, has become a place of study and journaling and creativity that it had failed to be for several years. And the result of making one choice at a time, of slowly replacing a bad habit with a good one, is that my stress level has dropped tremendously and I have the head room free to enjoy silence and give God a blessed chance to speak.

And speak, He has.

My relationship with Him is growing every single day as I make one choice at a time. My prayer life has deepened and the Word of God has come alive. I have read more books in the past three months than I had read in, probably, the last three years.

Social media no longer sucks me in like it used to. I can put it down. In fact, I am more hesitant to pick it up because I can feel the difference in myself after and hour in a good book vs. an hour of mindless scrolling. Facebook does so many good things, reminding me of birthdays and anniversaries and helping me keep in touch with dear friends who I would have otherwise lost touch with many years ago. But it is also addictive and endless.

And there are few things more satisfying than reaching the end.

We are now in the midst of the most beautiful season of the year, where we stop and give thanks to God and prepare to welcome anew in our hearts our Savior. Nothing is more important right now than really immersing ourselves in the wonder and glory of the Holidays! But if we are not careful, we can allow distractions to suck away precious hours that we can never get back. It’s not worth it. I want better for us, don’t you? I want my kids to see the value of meditation over the crazy beautiful story of the Nativity and get lost in the shadows cast by the candlelight in our family room. I want my life to be filled with music and poetry and scripture so that it drowns out the lies the enemy throws at me in weak moments. I want God to be honored in how I spend my time, down to the precious minutes of “down time” He sprinkles throughout my days. If I’m always looking down I will miss it and I will miss HIM.

So here are a few tips for making the change from screen to page:

Be honest with yourself. How much time to you really spend on social media? Don’t give in to the temptation to “round down!”

The best way to stop a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. What do you know you should be doing when you habitually reach for your mobile device? In my case, it was read. So bring along whatever it is…book, planner, etc. Keep it near you and convenient so that you don’t have an excuse.

Ask yourself why you keep going online? Ann Voskamp has a printable that I posted on my refrigerator with suggestions for things to do before clicking. It was convicting to realize how five minutes here and there can truly make a difference in the level of productivity I achieve on any given day!

Turn off your notifications. This really helped me! Something about what I call “the little red drops of blood” with flashing numbers screaming, “Attention! You have posts to read! Hey, you! Look at me right now!” would make me crazy and I felt like I had to keep them cleared out. So I turned them off. Simple. And that goes for your email inbox too. That thing can be a beast. If I had a nickel for every minute I spent deleting junk mail…

Start each day early, making time with the Lord first priority. Open your Bible before you open Facebook. Linger over the Word of God, read different translations and compare, maybe creatively journal the words that God uses to pierce your heart. But keep it simple. Prayer is not complicated, and neither is reading the Bible. It’s a love letter, not a textbook.

Work before play. An old friend told me this was what she taught her kids when training them to clean up after themselves. (She was much more successful at that than I have been, by the way. Judge away. It is a parenting fail I humbly own.) As adults we can model that adage by choosing not to “play” (go online for pleasure) until all of our work is done. House clean? Dishes done? Laundry put away? Quiet time spent with God? Great. Then reward yourself…but resist the urge to go straight to screen time! Start with a good book. Light a candle and wrap up in a soft blanket. Get really comfy in that big chair and see if, an hour later, you still care about what Susie made for dinner. Chances are, your book is much more interesting.

Now go. Feast and rest and love and enjoy all the beautiful bounty of this season! Look your loved ones in the eye and be all in, not wasting a single moment. Don’t give in to distractions and complications. It’s not worth it! Have a blessed and SIMPLE Thanksgiving!